The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Lyric

“Wolf! Wolf!” the boy did say,
But no wolf came that day.

He played a trick, he made them run,
But lying isn’t fun!

Tell the truth, tell the truth,
Always be honest, always be you!
Tell the truth, tell the truth,
Good hearts always shine through!

The wolf came real, the people stayed,
The boy was scared, afraid!

Tell the truth, tell the truth,
Always be honest, always be you!

No more tricks, no more lies,
Truth is best — that’s the prize!

Tell the truth, tell the truth,
Good hearts always shine through!

THE STORY

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

There was once a young Shepherd Boy who was tasked with watching over his village’s flock of sheep near a dark forest. To amuse himself, he decided to play a trick. He ran toward the village, shouting in terror, “Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is attacking the sheep!” The villagers dropped their work and rushed out to help him, only to find the boy laughing at them. There was no wolf. He enjoyed the excitement so much that a few days later, he cried out again, “Wolf! Wolf!” Once more, the villagers came running to his aid, only to be fooled a second time.

Not long after, a real Wolf did indeed come out from the forest and began to stalk the flock. In genuine terror, the Shepherd Boy ran to the edge of the village and cried out with all his might, “Wolf! Wolf! Please, help me! The wolf is here!” But this time, the villagers who heard him simply shook their heads. They remembered his previous lies and assumed he was trying to fool them again. No one came to his aid.

The Wolf, finding no one to chase it away, attacked the flock. When the boy returned to the village that evening without his sheep and told them the wolf had truly come, a wise old man said to him, “We will help you, but know this: a liar will not be believed, even when he tells the truth.” The flock was lost because the boy had destroyed their trust.

With grateful thanks to the original storyteller, Aesop (c. 620–564 BCE), whose ancient fables have taught moral lessons for centuries. This tale, now in the public domain, remains a timeless warning about the value of credibility.